Numbers 23
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
4And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
13And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
14And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
16And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?
18And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
24Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
25And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
26But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
27And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
29And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- אָמַרʼâmarH55920× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- אֵלʼêlH41319× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- בָּלָקBâlâqH111118× in this chapter
Balak, a Moabitish king
- לֹאlôʼH380817× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- בִּלְעָםBilʻâmH110914× in this chapter
Bilam, a Mesopotamian prophet; also a place in Palestine
- דָבַרdâbarH16968× in this chapter
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30688× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- מִזְבֵּחַmizbêachH41968× in this chapter
an altar
- שֶׁבַעshebaʻH76518× in this chapter
seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number
- קָבַבqâbabH68957× in this chapter
to scoop out, i.e. (figuratively) to malign or execrate (i.e. stab with words)
- בָרַךְbârakH12886× in this chapter
to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason)
- הָלַךְhâlakH19806× in this chapter
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
- אַיִלʼayilH3526× in this chapter
properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree
- מָהmâhH41006× in this chapter
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
- פַּרparH64996× in this chapter
a bullock (apparently as breaking forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof)
- רָאָהrâʼâhH72006× in this chapter
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
- אֵתʼêthH8536× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- יַעֲקֹבYaʻăqôbH32905× in this chapter
Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH34785× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- לָקַחlâqachH39475× in this chapter
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
- עַלʻalH59215× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- עָשָׂהʻâsâhH62135× in this chapter
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8345× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- הִנֵּהhinnêhH20094× in this chapter
lo!
- זֶהzehH20884× in this chapter
the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
- כֹּהkôhH35414× in this chapter
properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
- אֵלʼêlH4104× in this chapter
strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity)
- עָלָהʻâlâhH59274× in this chapter
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
- עֹלָהʻôlâhH59304× in this chapter
a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke)
- קָרָהqârâhH71364× in this chapter
to light upon (chiefly by accident); causatively, to bring about; specifically, to impose timbers (for roof or floor)
- שׁוּבshûwbH77254× in this chapter
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
- בָּנָהbânâhH11293× in this chapter
to build (literally and figuratively)
- דָּבָרdâbârH16973× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- זָעַםzâʻamH21943× in this chapter
properly, to foam at the mouth, i.e. to be enraged
- כֹּלkôlH36053× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- מוֹאָבMôwʼâbH41243× in this chapter
Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH4303× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- נָשָׂאnâsâʼH53753× in this chapter
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
- פֶּהpehH63103× in this chapter
the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to
- קוּםqûwmH69653× in this chapter
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)